Buying a house, or more specifically, taking a 25 year mortgage (which is what most people need to do to buy a house), at the present moment is like taking a bet on interest rates. This is not a bet I feel comfortable making.

Take a look at the following graph:

It shows UK interest rates since 1694. There's something distinctly odd about the graph on the right, where we are now...
Taking a 25 year loan, which in the UK is generally only fixed for 2 years at a time (you could fix for up to 10 years, but the penalties for needing to repay early or remortage can be hefty) is equivalent to betting that the following will happen:

It's an excellent article on the effect of different rep and set ranges.

I've always been a fan of lower rep ranges (5 to 8); lower set ranges (2-3) and higher rest periods (3-5 mins). The article shows nicely that this is still a good choice for both strength and size gains, but with the warning that lower reps with higher sets tends to stress the nervous system and lead to injury and fatigue.

I'm currently experimenting with fine-tuning my rep and set ranges based on how each muscle group responds to reps in the range of 5 - 15. I think I've settled on my "optimal" reps and sets based on the following protocol:

For several weeks, I trained each exercise with a set of 5 reps, then 10 reps, then 15. As always, when I was able to lift a weight for the assigned number of reps, I would increase the weight the following week. After several weeks I could then determine what the maximum weight I could lift for each exercise and …

I enjoy it.It's now effortless.I can do it forever.It fits around my lifestyle.I'm never hungry.
It's perfect for me. It might not be perfect for you, but you can find something that works.
The magic ingredients for me have been:
1) Removing my sweet tooth by cutting out sugar (exceptions detailed further down).
2) Eating less often (once a day actually!)
3) less on some days and more on others (when I go to the gym for example).
4) much less carbohydrate.
5) more fat.
6) simpler food choices
Here's where I get my calories from:

The following links have been influential on my gradual migration away from carbs and towards fats: Perfect Health DietMark's Daily AppleHyperlipid
Here's an example of what I eat on a lower calorie / no exercise day: Dinner (since I don't eat breakfast or lunch)
125g mixed vegetables
125g cherry tomatoes
Simmered / reduced down with a little butter, soy sauce, cider vinegar. …

Ever since I got my health and my wealth under control, I've been a lot happier and more relaxed.
I have a passion for learning, understanding and applying this knowledge to the real world. When I encounter a problem, I like to solve it using logic and morals and share what I've learned with others.
I have a degree in Biochemistry; qualified as level 2 Fitness Instructor (working towards level 3); taking a part-time evidence-based nutrition course and hold multiple local drug-free powerlifting records.
I have more than quadrupled my net worth since 2009 by using simple methods such as reducing my spending, increasing my savings and investing in appreciating assets.

About PoundCounter

Frustrated with the confusing information out there about health and personal finance?If there's one thing that most diet companies and banks are all too eager to help you lose, it's the pounds in your pocket rather than the pounds on your waist.I aim to provide the tools and information to help with both.